In Messi's absence, who were the ones that wore the number 10 for the national team?

The number 10 jersey of the Argentina National Team has had an undisputed owner for more than 15 years: Lionel Messi. The Rosario star wore it for the first time on March 28, 2009, in the 4-0 win over Venezuela in the qualifiers for South Africa 2010. Since then, and over a span of 15 years and 220 matches, only a select group, in addition to Leo, have had the privilege of taking the field with that number on their back.

In his absences, only a handful of players have been able to wear the number 10. In total, 17 players have worn it at some point: Sergio Agüero (7 matches), Ángel Correa (5), Paulo Dybala (2), Ángel Di María (2), Enzo Pérez (2), Nicolás Gaitán (2), and Héctor Canteros (2).

Others have done so on just one occasion: Federico Insúa, Ariel Ortega (in his farewell against Haiti in 2010), Erik Lamela, Ever Banega, Javier Pastore, Lucas Mugni (in a friendly against Brazil in 2012 in which he did not play), Maximiliano Moralez, Walter Erviti, and Walter Montillo.

This Tuesday in Guayaquil, against Ecuador, the one tasked with continuing that list will be Thiago Almada, who will wear the most iconic jersey in Argentine football in the final matchday of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup against Ecuador.

The historic owners of the number 10 in Argentina

Lionel Messi is the main reference for the number with 158 matches, leaving an unparalleled legacy. Behind him is Diego Maradona, who wore it in 85 matches and turned it into a global icon of talent and defiance. Further back are Ariel Ortega, with 59 appearances, and Juan Román Riquelme, with 29.